Kieran McKenna Takes Charge Of First Game As A Premier League Manager

County Fermanagh-raised Kieran McKenna was in the dugout for the first time as a Premier League manager for Ipswich Town’s season opener against Liverpool.

McKenna, who led the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions from EFL League One, locked horns with Arne Slot, who was also making his first appearance in the Premier League since replacing Jurgen Klopp in the Liverpool hotseat.

McKenna's troops put up a spirited fight against the Reds, going in level at the half time interval. However, the visitors stepped it up in the second half and two moments of quality from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mo Salah ensured Liverpool would depart Portman Road unscathed with a 2-0 opening day victory.

McKenna's Tractor Boys are narrowly odds on to go straight back down this season. The Suffolk side are priced at 4/5 with licensed online betting site Unibet, which currently has Leicester City as its favourites for the drop at 2/5, due largely to the Foxes' likely FFP points penalty which could see them lose between six and 15 points.

McKenna was a wanted man this summer

Fresh off the back of Ipswich Town’s Premier League promotion celebrations, the mood in Suffolk was soured by the potential for McKenna to leave the club. Three clubs were said to be courting his services throughout mid-to-late May, with Chelsea, Brighton and Manchester United all heavily linked.

The 38-year-old is said to have been interviewed for the Chelsea job and sounded out for the Manchester United job, with Erik ten Hag’s position under review at the time. However, it was the Brighton hotseat which looked to be his for the taking. McKenna was the Seagulls' number-one target to replace outgoing boss, Roberto De Zerbi. At one stage, McKenna is reported to have agreed to become the next Brighton manager.

However, Ipswich's CEO, Mark Ashton, and Ed Schwartz, a representative of the club’s majority shareholders, held last-ditch talks with McKenna in Ipswich to convince him that Portman Road could fulfil his ambitions. Fortunately for Ipswich, those discussions were enough to see him sign a new four-year contract. The club also ring-fenced a serious war chest for McKenna to work with in upgrading the squad for the challenge of keeping Town in the Premier League.

What do Ipswich and McKenna need to stay up this season?

It’s difficult for any newly promoted side to establish themselves in the top flight these days. Just ask the managers of Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United last season. All three were promoted to the 2023/24 Premier League but couldn’t retain their status for this season.

It's an even taller order for Ipswich, considering the bulk of their squad was acquired during their League One promotion-winning season. The biggest challenge for McKenna will be to find the right balance between keeping faith in the stars which scaled heights the club hadn’t reached in 22 years and bringing in new recruits.

Nevertheless, McKenna has the full backing of the owners and supporters alike. This is a club with plenty of Northern Irish connections through the years, including Jim Magilton, Gareth McAuley and, further back, Bryan Hamilton.

McKenna has already parted with a reported £18m to retain the services of Omari Hutchinson from Chelsea, after excelling on loan last term. In total, Town have invested the best part of £70m in players to date, with Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips the highest-profile player to join albeit on loan. Phillips has struggled to replicate the Premier League form he showed at Leeds United in a City shirt and McKenna will look to bring the best out of him in Ipswich colours.

The rest of the August transfer window promises to be a fascinating one for Ipswich fans. With the club clearly backing McKenna hard in the transfer market – sticking to their promises made when handing him a new deal in May. More players with Premier League experience could be the difference between going down with a whimper and giving it a real go this term.